


Protection

by Tinybelieverbug



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alexsandr Kallus has guilt, Alexsandr Kallus is Pining, First Kiss, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios gets shot, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios is Pining, Getting Together, Holiday Gift Exchange, M/M, Pre-Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Pre-Relationship, This ran away from me, battle couples, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28270449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinybelieverbug/pseuds/Tinybelieverbug
Summary: Of course they were stuck on guarding duty. Not that Zeb was complaining (it was a mission with Kal), but he’d rather not recover whatever information that even Kallus was skeptical about.Though staking out the closest Imperial base - where Brahim was currently stationed - with Kal wasn’t the worst. Even with the doubts, it could be worse.He just had to jinx it.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus & Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41
Collections: Kalluzeb Secret Holiday Exchange 2020





	Protection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wormghoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wormghoul/gifts).



> Man, this got rewritten at least Four times, and it’s still a little stilted, but I finished it, on time, and actually like it! It’s for the Kalluzeb Holiday Exchange for @/Diabeticjedi on tumblr. I really hope you enjoy it, cause battle couples and whump is what I’m real good at, and a first kiss always gives me a chance to explore their early relationship. 
> 
> As always, I hope you all enjoy it!

Of course they were stuck on guarding duty. Not that Zeb was complaining (it was a mission with  _ Kal _ ), but he’d rather not recover whatever information that even Kallus was skeptical about. 

The most recent spy is also  _ not _ Zeb’s favorite. She was still a kid, anyways, who had to throw away her childhood to enlist in the Imperial communications, and risk her life to be a spy. 

Though staking out the closest Imperial base - where Brahim was currently stationed - with Kal wasn’t the worst. Even with the doubts, it could be worse. 

He just  _ had _ to jinx it. 

Zeb heard the telltale sign of bucket-head’s boots, so he managed to climb into the giant trees of Endor before shots started flying by. Now Zeb wasn’t one to question the spy's orders but he was pretty sure that an information extraction mission  _ didn’t  _ have the threat of stormtroopers attacking.

“It’s a trap!” He heard Kallus yell above the scream of blaster bolts. 

“Yeah, I can tell, Kal!” 

With Kal hiding behind the trees and brush, Zeb thought of a better idea. He climbed higher in the trees, finding an Ewok platform to get a better vantage point on the bucket heads. He shot most of them down, getting a glare from Kallus when all of the troopers were down. 

Zeb jumped down the tree, gaining an eye roll from Kallus when he shot him a grin.

“You do know that I could’ve gotten them, Garazeb.” Alex said, looking down at the stormtroopers. 

“Eh, you were being too slow.” 

“I was just fast enough, Garazeb.” 

“I told you to call me Zeb, Kal,” Zeb scoffed, “Now we need to find a better place to hide.”

It was Kallus’s turn to scoff. “It seems that our spy was really spying on  _ us _ . I knew that girl wasn’t sound.” 

“Of course you did, Kal.” Zeb said, watching Chopper roll into the forest where they parked the Phantom II. It wasn’t too far away, but it was hidden enough that they had to walk a ways. 

“I don’t know why they decide to send me, I’m just Intelligence.” Kallus murmurs, blowing a piece of stray hair out of his eyes. 

“Yeah, well, maybe they thought you’d get another fulcrum agent.” Zeb said, trying to make sense of the pair being sent out. It was Hera who assigned this mission to them, and she’s got good intentions, but Zeb wouldn’t be surprised if they were sent together to get, well,  _ together _ . 

Especially after all that time Zeb gushed to Hera about Kal. 

“Perhaps, though with the Empire being half of what it was five years ago, I’m not quite sure we’d need another Fulcrum agent, with the intelligence unit we have.” Kallus said, pride seeping into his voice about his fellow intel officers. 

“Hey, Kal, be quiet for a sec.” Zeb turned to look behind them, hearing rustling. 

“Zeb, we got the troopers.” Kallus said quietly, pulling his blaster out of his holster, preparing for another firefight. 

Zeb only got a flash off a sniper rifle before he pushed Kallus into the brush, feeling a plasma bolt hit him twice in his shoulder. He groaned, barely able to hold himself above Kallus. 

“Zeb! What was that?” Kallus whispered, looking over Zeb’s shoulder. Kallus took a deep breath through his nose, and aimed his blaster through the small space between Zeb’s arm and the ground. 

Kallus threw Zeb off him, breathing a “Fool lasat!” while sitting up to look at the wound.

“It ain’t that bad Kal.” Zeb said, trying not to flinch as Kallus almost touches it, trying to get Zeb to stand. 

“Can you walk?” Kallus asked, letting the Lasat lean on him. 

“Yeah, I can. Hey, don’t worry about me, Kal. You got the guy, right?” Zeb said, standing with effort, trying not to lean completely on Kallus. 

“Yes, I did. Though I should’ve realized one was still following us.” Kallus rolled his eyes, while almost losing his grip on Zeb. 

“Hey, Kal, y’gotta be more careful.” Zeb said, the earth spinning enough that he couldn’t get his balance. 

“I was, you were the one who decided to get shot for me!”    
  


“I was protectin’ you!” 

“I don’t need protecting, Garazeb.” 

“Well, you obviously didn’t hear the sniper in-” He got cut off by a groan, because Kallus unceremoniously dropped him in one of the passenger seats in the Phantom II. 

“Oh, we’re here already.” Zeb commented, watching Kallus reach above his head and get the first aid supplies. The human ditched his coat, since the cargo door was open, the planet’s humidity was creeping in. 

“Yes, we’re here. We didn’t park that far away from that Imp compound.” Kallus was curt while opening the case of bacta-strips, and it surprised Zeb. He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong to upset his (mission) partner, 

“Kal, what’s wrong?” 

“What’s wrong? Zeb, you got  _ shot!”  _ Kallus cried, knocking the supplies off his lap when he stood. “You got shot, for me, and I don’t know why you’d do that.” 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Zeb said, watching Kallus pick up the bacta strips. The human motioned for Zeb to turn around, to apply the bacta strips.

“Why should you?” Kallus asked, gently tearing Zeb’s jumpsuit and pressing the bacta onto the blaster wounds. 

“Why not? Kal, I -”

“No you don’t.” 

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.” 

“Yes I do.” 

“Kal, no. You can’t stop me from saying how I feel.” Zeb stood to face him. Three strips was enough. 

“I can’t stop you, but I don’t have to listen.” 

“Kal, Alex, you should listen. I love you.” 

“You shouldn’t.” Alexsandr said, shaking his head and leaving to the cockpit, Chopper wailing and waving his arms around. 

“Well, how d’you feel?” 

“What?” 

“How d’you feel about me? Eh?” 

“Zeb,” Alexsandr started, turning in the chair, “I -”

“If you don’t love me back, that’s fine, but just tell me.” 

“Zeb, I can’t.” 

“Why not? Why can’t -” Zeb was silenced by Alexsandr  _ kissing _ him. The human way.

“I don’t deserve you. Not after what I’ve done.” His warm hands were still on the sides of Zeb’s face, grounding the Lasat into what Alexsandr did. 

“Have I earned you? Haven’t I earned the right to be with you?” Zeb said, settling his hands onto Alexsandr’s, keeping them in place. 

“I suppose. I shouldn’t be in the way of your happiness.” Alexsandr wouldn’t look at him. 

“But you’re my happiness, Alex.”


End file.
